Feather-renovating apparatus.



F. J. TRUDEAU.

' FEATHER RENOVATING APPARATUS.

APPLlcATloN FILED ocT. x8. 19.15.

lll/11111111111lll/ll/ll/ml//l/l//Q fm/Wm Patented May 9,1916.

THE cuLuMaxA PLQNOURAPH. co., wASHINu'mNr D; c"-

FRANK J'. TRUDEA'U, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEATHER-RENOVATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 19169.

Application filed October 18, 1915. v Serial No. 56,493.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK J. TRUDEAU, residing at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Feather-Renovating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and effective feather renovating means or apparatus that generally embodies an improved coperative construction of a feather container in the nature of a rotatable cylinder, a combined steam drum located within the cylinder, and rotatable therewith, and means connected with the said drum for exhausting the products of condensation in the said drum prior' to discharging the steam from the drum into the feathers contained within the cylinder.

In its more complete nature, my invention includes improved means for distributing dry steam through the feathers within the cylinder or holder in such a manner that the operation of cleaning the feathers is effected in a short space of time and Without wetting the feathers being operated on.

Vith other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in certain improved details of construction, and combination of parts all of which will be first fully described, then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a horizontal section of a feather renovating apparatus that embodies my improvements, parts being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, and looking in the direction of the arrow a. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section of a portion of one end of the main cylinder, the steam reservoir or drum and the drain pipe connections hereinafter explained.

My improved renovating apparatus comprises a main cylinder l, preferably of wood, and eight feet long and four feet in diameter. Cylinder l has a hinged top section or door through which the feathers are put into the said cylinder and the said door, when the apparatus is in operation, is held to its closed position by any suitable locking means. Cylinder l has an axial bearing at each end and the said bearings are pipe sections 3-4, one of which 4, extends through one head of the cylinder and the corresponding capped end of the steam drum or reservoir 5, presently described, and has such end closed by a plug 4l, as shown. Pipe section 3, which forms, as it were, the live steam feed pipe, has a valve 30 located just outside of the adjacent head end of the cylinder. Pipe section 4 has a valve 40 located outside of the adjacent head or end of the main cylinder.

5 designates a steam drum located within the cylinder l, in the nature of an iron cylinder, provided with end caps which when the main cylinder is of the dimensions before stated is preferably eight inches in diameter and extends practically the full length of the said main cylinder, the capped ends thereof being mounted on and made fast to the hollow pipe sections 3 4 to turn therewith when the rotative power is applied. A horizontally disposed perforated pipe 6 is located at one side and extends parallel with the said cylinder and the said pipe joins with a. section 6l that extends into the reservoir or drum 5 and which has a control valve 62. Pipe 6 also includes a solid end portion 68 that extends through the side of the reservoir as is clearly shown on Fig. 1.

7 designates a U shaped drip pipe one end 7 0 of which extends up into the bottom of the reservoir 5, while the other end extends up to and discharges into the pipe section 4 that carries the valve 40.

In using my feather renovating apparatus, valves 30 and 40 are opened as steam under high pressure is fed through the pipe 8 into the reservoir 5, it being understood that valve 40 being now open air and products of condensation within the reservoir 5 are blown out through the U-shaped drip pipe into the pipe 4 and out through the now open valve 40. While steam is being first forced into the reservoir 5 the apparatus is stationary, and the feathers are dumped into the cylinder 1 through the opening in the top. After the feathers have been entered and the door locked down the main cylinder and the reservoir or drum are rotated by suitable means, it being understood that the valve 40 is closed after the air and products of condensation have been blown out of the steam reservoir. Control valve 62 for the perforated pipe 6 is now opened andas the cylinder and reservoir are rotated steam passes through the valve 62 into the perforated pipe 6 and is discharged directly against the nonT hot drum or reservoir, is thereby superheated, dissipated and scattered through the feathers Without any moisture or condensation, it being understood that as the apparatus revolves the feathers are stirred up by the rotary motion and the steam is in a dry state and attacks the feathers in such a manner that the cleansing and renovating operation is thoroughly effected in a short space o-f time and Without wetting the feathers. After the operation of cleaning and renovating is complete the apparatus is again held stationary, steam control valve 62 is closed, and the feathers removed through the door opening in the cylinder.

What I claim is:

l. In an apparatus for the purposes described, a cylinder having a door-closed opening, a steam drum Within the cylinder, a steam inlet pipe that passes through one end of the cylinder and into the corresponding end of the drum and having communication with the drum, an outlet pipe that eX- tends through the other end of the drum, said pipe being closed Where it enters the said drum, a drip pipe connection in communication with the drum and the outlet pipe section.

2. In a means for renovating feathers, a rotatably mounted cylinder having a doorclosed opening, a steam drum Within the said cylinder that extends lengthwise of the cylinder, a steam inlet pipe that passes through one end of the cylinder and the corresponding end of the drum, an outlet pipe that passes through the other end of the cylinder and the corresponding end ofthe drum, that end of the pipe engaging the drum being solid, a U shaped drip pipe in communication with the outlet pipe and the drum said inlet and outlet pipes each having a co-ntrolling valve.

FRANK J. TRUDEAU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. Y 

